It is important to look after yourself if you are running a Domestic Church! I have been pondering this, and come to realise that women in general are very good at putting others needs before their own, and while that is all part and parcel of a Christian domestic life, we also need to make sure that we are taking care of our own needs, for then we are better able and equipped to look after others!

I had a doctors appointment yesterday, and my GP emphasised the importance of “weight-bearing exercise” for post-menopausal women such as myself, to keep my bones strong and protect against osteoporosis. The conversation went something like this:

Doc: you need to be doing weight bearing exercise at least 5 times a week.
Me: does housework, hoovering, mopping floors, cleaning windows, hanging out the washing, carrying shopping, running round after my family and 3 grandchildren, jiggling a baby and walking everywhere (as I don’t have a car) count?
Doc: only if you work up a sweat…
Me: that’s my exercise accounted for then!

…but it’s also important to make sure we are building in times to relax and wind down in our busy week. Whether that’s by doing a gentle hobby we enjoy, such as reading, or simply relaxing in a chair from time to time. We are human beings, not human doings, and we need time to just “be”! My favourite way of relaxing is in a long, hot bubble-bath, listening to Classic FM on the radio. I can go in, lock the door and shut out the cares and concerns of daily life for half an hour each night, and feel refreshed and physically cared for.

What’s your favourite way to relax? Leave a comment…